Game device



Jan. 26, 1954 MATHWS E-r AL 2,667,354

EEEEEEE CE Patented Jan. 26, 1954 GAME DEVICE JohnE. Mathews, Cleveland, and Allan C. Gordon, Maple Heights, Ohio Application September 21, 1950, Serial No. 186,060V

This invention relates to spinning devices and has for one of its primary objects to provide in connection with two, ory more, indicia bearing dials, spinning elements and manually controlled means for spinning the spinning elements and for reieasing the same to come to rest in registry with the indicia.

Another object is to provide means for predetermining the sequence in which the spinning elements came to rest after having been set into motion.

A more specific object is to provide in such a device two or moreindicia bearing dials a rotating pointer for each dial and electric motor means for rotating the pointers.

A further specific object is to provide in such an electric motor operated device, a switch, or push button, means, which upon Operation, energizes the motor to cause the pointers to spin, the pointers being mounted to continue to rotate upon deenergization ofthe motor, but one of the dials being provided with brake, or other, means to insure its coming to rest before the other dial.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in the combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter set forth in the following -specification and appended claim, certain embodiments thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawngs, in which:

Figure 1 is a-view in front elevation of a wall support with three dials arranged side by side and each bearing numerical indicia from to 9, inclusive and each having a rotatably mounted pointer to register With the indicia on its dial;

Figure 2 is a schematic wiring diagram, showing three electric motors, one for spinning each pointer, a push button switch for energizing the motors and a transformer with leads to a line circuit; and

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the three motors and their shafts with difierential braking means for the shafts, the left one having the greatest effective brake, the middle one a lesser brake and the right one without a brake.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a stationary support A for carrying three stationary dials B, C and D arranged side by side in spaced relationship. Each of these dials is marked oi into segments bearing separate numerical ndicia from 0 to 9, inclusive. Rigidly mounted on separate electric motor shafts E, F and G are arrowhead pointers H, I and J, respectively, to register with one of the numbered segments on its dial.

In Figure 2 is schematically shown the electrical circuit which includes three motors K, L, and M which rotates the shafts E, F and G, respectively. These three motors are in series and in circuit with a suitable transformer N with leads O and P leading to the usual line circuit. Also in circuit with the motors and transformer are contacts Q and R, normally spaced from a contact plate S carrie'd by the usual pushbutton T that may be normally spring'urged outwardly to keep the plate out of engagement With contacts Q and R to maintain the circuit open; the motors deenergized and the pointersv stationary.

It follows then that'when the push button T is manually pushed inwardly from right to left, as viewed in Figure 2, the plate S is brought into engagement withv contacts Q and R. This closes the circuit and energizes the rotating electric motors B, C and Dsimultaneously. As the motors rotate, their shafts E, F -and G'rotate the arrowhead pointers H, I and J and they continue to rotate as long as thevpush button is manually maintaineddepressed to close the circuit to drive the shafts.

When the pushbuttonis released, the electric drive on the shafts and pointersis released. However, the momentum set up by this electric drive causesthe shafts and pointers to continue to rotate, or coast, until friction causes them to come to rest. Figure 1 shows the three pointers H, I and J toV have come to rest to register with segments numbered 3, 5 and 2 on dials B, C and D, respectively. Thus, the composite number spelled out, reading the three dials from left to right, is 352.

Thus, as an amusement device, the contest among the players could be to register the largest Composite number. In the use of the three dials shown, the range is 1000 combinations ranging from 000 to 999 inclusive. Each contestant merely pushes the pushbutton and holds it engaged as long as he wants to before releasing it, after which the three pointers coast until friction causes them to come to rest to register with the numbered segments on the three dials.

The contest also may be the designating of a certain number from 000 to 999 and the effort on the part of the contestant to either duplicate the selected number or, if more than one contestant, to see how close he can come to duplicating the number.

Assuming, for instance, that two dails, instead of three dials, are used. Bearing in mind that dial B is now not being used, if the operator pushed the pushbutton and operated the device drive.

so that pointers I and J came to rest on segments numbered 5 and 2 on dials C and D, as shown in Figure 1, the number is 52. Of course, in the instant example, the opertaor has one chance in one hundred of dialing 52. In the case of the three dials, the operator Would have one chance in one thousand of duplicating three numbers.

In any event, in order to include the element of suspense in finally determining the resulting registered composite number, we prefer to provide some means whereby the pointer J on the right dial D is the last to come to rest. In the event that three dials are used, we prefer to insure that pointer I-I comes to rest first, pointer I second and pointer J last. One means of accomplishing this is to provide a braking means comprising a leaf spring U stationarily secured at one end to lug V and passing between stationary lug W and motor shaft E to resiliently press against the motor shaft E to constitute a spring drag brake thereon. Similarly, spring X secured at Y `passes between lug Z and motor shaft F to exert a Spring drag brake effect on motor shaft F. It

will be noted, however, in Figure 3 that lug V is directly below shaft E, whereas, lug Y is displaced slightly to the left. The result is a relatively greater Spring drag effect of Spring U on shaft E than the spring drag effect of Spring X on shaft F. It will be further noted that in the example shown in Figure 3, we employ no brake on motor shaft G.

Thus in this example, when the contestant pushes and releases the push-button, the motors and their pointers continue to rotate as a result of the momentum set up by the electric power Due to the diiferential brake assembly just described, pointer H stops first, pointer I stops second and pointer J last. This definitely adds to the zest and suspense of the operation of the device, regardless of its use. For instance, if it is desired to register the composite number 352, and the spinning result of that shown in Figure 1, the operator first sees the resulting number 3, then anticipates and realizes number 5 and then anticipates and finally realizes the number 2V to complete the composite number 352. Likewise, in a contest to spin the highest number among the group, if one contestant spins and the first number is 9, he looks forward to another 9 and if the third finally results in another 9 on dial D, he can be assured that the best his opponents can do is to tie his score, because 999 is the highest composite number obtainable. f

While we have'shown three dials, any number may be employed, preferably two or more. Also instead of using stationary dials and rotatable pointers, we may elect to employ rotatable dials and stationary pointers. Likewise the indicia on the dial segments may vary or be rearranged, if desired. The Spring drag brake is merely one means of insuring the desired sequence of registry of the pointers with the numbered segments.

We claim:

A game apparatus comprising in combination with three dials arranged in line from left to right and each having numbered segments and a pointer carried by a hub to be rotatable to register with said segments, electric motor means under manual switch control to simultaneously initiate and continue the spinning of all of said pointers as long as said switch control continues to be manually operated, said pointers being mounted to continue to coast in their spinning movements after release of said manual switch control means, the hub of the left of said spinning elements being provided with a predeterminedly relatively greater braking means than the other two to insure its coming to rest before the other two, the hub of the middle of said Spinning elements being provided with a predeterminedly lesser braking means than that on the left of said spinning element hubs and With a predetermnedly greater resistance to rotation than that on the hub of said pointer that registers with the dial located on the right for automatically insuring said pointers coming to rest in predetermined sequence from left to right in their coasting rotation after the electric motor drive has been released.

JOHN E. MATHEWS. ALLAN C. GORDON.

Beferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 689,365 McMullen Dec. 17, 1901 :1,200340 Greenwood Oct. 3, 1916 2,154,890 Dashkin Apr. 18, 1939 2,171,295 Shultz Aug. 29, 1939 2,175,892 Greene Oct. 10, 1939 

